Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleone Buonaparte; Italian: Napoleone di Buonaparte; French: Napoléon Bonaparte) (26 January 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the early modern period.
He established the Napoleonic dynasty of France upon the defeat of revolutionary and royalist forces in the French Revolution. He expanded the state's control over the "Grande Armée" (principally composed of commoners) and initiated the process of administrative centralization, a key component of the so-called "enlightened absolutism".
After establishing rule in France, he launched several attempts to expand the French colonial empire into sub-Saharan Africa, most successfully with his invasion of Egypt, which began with his crossing of the Nile River in 1798. He was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Napoleon died on May 5th, 1821 after suffering a stroke following a series of ill health caused by his campaign to conquer Russia. Despite this, he is still considered one of the greatest military commanders in history for his successful campaigns in Spain, Russia and most prominently against Austria during the War of Austrian Succession.
It is important to note that Napoleon Bonaparte himself never used either "Napoleon" or "Bonaparte" as an official title or style, preferring instead "the Emperor Napoleon" to be referred to himself
Read more
He is most often known as Napoleon I or Emperor Napoleon I.